Changing rules out of dislike for the person who made the rule? Policing language in a way that would shock Orwell himself? Raising the cost of education to the point where employees outnumber the customers? Humbug! It is easy to look at what is happening in our society and become a Scrooge. Except: This is Christmas.
I certainly don’t mind equity markets going up, but this trend in selective listening unfortunately manifests in more nefarious ways. People hear what they want to hear.
“The Emperor’s New Clothes” folktale is the parable of our time. Stories like this were taught to children not only to entertain, but also to teach lessons. The lesson – which is as old as time – is that people who think of themselves as sophisticated can believe some ridiculous things. In fact, the truth is usually simple, and the simplest explanation is usually the truth.
The problem is not the use of the word pivot; it is this modern idea that we have to be on one extreme or the other. Today, the Fed must be either raising interest rates to fight inflation or lowering interest rates to fight a recession. This is absurd.
To be understanding, one has to be in relationship. We have lost a great deal of that relationship-building over the last two and a half years. Our reaction to COVID may very well end up doing more harm to our society than the virus itself. Human interaction is of utmost importance.